Strip uncoiler



I J Dec. 20, 1938.

STRIP UNGOILER- M Filed March 27, 1955 WITNESSfS H. H.YTALBOT ET AL 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR-i 547 214 w W ATTORNEY;

Dec. 20, 1938. H. H. TALBOT ET AL.

STRIP UNGOILER Filed March 27, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 NM Hm INVENTORJ. lwdwzzw y! WITNESSES v ATTORNEY,

Dec. 20, 1938. H H TALBOT ET AL 2,140,928

STRIP UNCOILER Filed March 27, 1955 i 5 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTORS.

, Mxw s4 mnvrssn v BY Wm. W 734% Dec. 20, 1938. i H. H. TALBOT ET AL 2,140,923

STRIP UNCQILER Filed March 27, 1955 5 Sheet et 4 INVENTORS.

g6; ATTORNEYJ 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 H. H. TALBOT ET AL STRIP UNCOILER Filed March-27/1935 FH HEw %;b AfITORNEY-SI INVENTORS BY M1. A

I D ec. 20, 1938.

WITNESSES Patented bee 2o, 1938 2.140.923

UNITED? STATES PATENT OFFICE STRIP UNCOILER Howard H. Talbot and Maurice I. Sieger, Pittsburgh, Pm, assignors to United Engineering & Foundry Company, Plttsbnrgh, Pa., 9. corpora-. tion of Pennsylvania p lication March 27, 1935, Serial No. 13,218 t claims. (01. 242-78) This invention relates to an improvement in so that y p pp ve e t of the apparatus for unwinding coils of steel or other two spindles when turned in the same direction. permeable strip. For turning such, screws gears II are provided An object of the invention i t provide an on their outer ends and connected to a common 5 apparatus of this character which is sturdy of drive shaft l2. through the aid of idler gears 5 construction, simple, efficient and dependable in i3 and driving gears 14 Which are y d t s operation, and which is adapted to feed'the strip drive shaft. The latter is in turn connected as it is unwound from the coil, in a convenient at one end to a driving motor I5 rranged at the and effective manner, into the work or handling Side Of the lmcoilern device with which it is used. 7 To maintain the spindles I and 2 .in axial l Another'object is to provide in an uncoiler of smnent whil t a being m v d, the base this type for maintaining the axis of the coil in plates 6 are provided h upwardly a d outa relatively fixed position while it is being un- Wardiy p ojecting. Shoulders On t e lateral coiled and for stripping the loose end from the d s an the Spindle Supports 5 with dg coilto inaugurate the uncoiling by mean of flanges I! which engage these shoulders. magnetically operable gripping device. In orderto load a coil onto the spindles I and These and various other objects as well as the a d to do so efficiently and i ntly irvarious other novel features and advantages of respective 0f the diameter of the 0011, a Ve ithe invention will be apparent when the followa y a usta le l-r v d ipu at n ing detailed description is read in conjunction Combination Platform and Cradle s p vided 011- 20 with the accompanying drawings of-which Fig, -1 rectly' below the spindles. This combinational is a plan view of an uncoiler constructedin acdevice a S n s C e rly in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 cordance with the invention; Fig. 2 a longitudicomprises a Substantially horizontally disposed nal section-taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1; platform l9 which is p v a y upp rted at its Fig. 3 a horizontal section taken on the line C v n end y a Shaft 2| that is mounted 25 III-III of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a transverse section in suitable bearing Supp and Preferably taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1; and Fig, 5 a at an elevation in alignment with a conveyor or view partly in section and partly in elevati chute 23 by means of which the coils are de- I looking toward the front of the apparatus. livered to it. In a downwardly convexed beam- Referring in detail to the drawings the nulike projection 24 provided on the movable end 30 merals I and 2 designate a pair of axially adof this platform there are mounted two sets of just'able spindles for supporting a coil whil it spaced rollers 25 and 26 which form a supporting is being unwound. To facilitate the insertion of cradle for a coil. The one set of these rollers these Spindles in the ends of the coil they are located nearest the pivoted end of the platform tapered somewhat at their inner ends. To also is arranged flush with the surface thereof while 35'. adapt them to straighten the sides of a coil when the second set is disposed at a somewhat higher they are moved thereinto, in the event the turns elevation so that a coil can be readily rolled of the coil are out of alignment and keep the over the first set into the cradle and be retained latter in alignment while the coil is being untherein bythe second set, the'rollers being used 40 wound, end guards 3 are provided on the outer to permit the coil to be readily rotated on. the 40 ends of the hub portions 4, while to permit their cradle for a purpose which will presently appear. being separated to receive a. coil and to be in- To effect rotation of a coil mounted on this serted in the ends of a coil they are mounted cradle, a sprocket wheel 21 is mounted between in a pair of pyramid-shap d supports 5 which the forward rollers 25, on their supporting shaft 5 are in turn slidably mounted on a pair of base- 28, and a chain 29 extended from this sprocket plates 8. V wheel to a driving sprocket 3| secured to a drive For adjusting these supports 5 to move the shaft 32 mounted in the bottom of the platform spindles I and2 in the manner referred to, they at a, point nearer to the platform-supporting are provided 0!! their bottom with bosses shaft 2| where the vertical movement of the which are projected through aligned elongate platform is morelimited. For driving the latter 50 slots 8 located in the tops of the base plates 6. sprocket wheel 3| a motor 33 is connected to its Through these bosses there is extended and supporting shaft 32 by means of an intermediary threadedly engaged therewith a pair of screws shaft 34 and a pair of flexible couplings 35 which 9 which are held against endwise movement in permit the necessary movement of the platform the bases 6 and provided with reverse threads without interfering with the drive. u

For raising the coil-supporting cradle so that the spindles I and 2 can be inserted in the ends of a coil mounted thereon and for also lowering the cradle away from the coil after it is mounted on the spindles, a jack-type screw rod 36 having a thread in its lower end is provided. The upper end of this screw rod is connected by means of a link 31 and pin 38 to a bracket 39 on the end of the frame-work 24. Its lower end is engaged in an internally threaded screw block 4| which is mounted against axial movement in a housing electromagnet, 48 for stripping the free end from' a coil mounted on the spindles I and 2 and inaugurating the unwinding operations. This magnet is provided with a length suflicient to accommodate the widest strip the uncoiler is capable of handling, and is mounted for movement toward and from the spindles in the ends of a pair of curved'arms 49 which are in turn secured to a shaft 5| that is supported on a pair of side frames or girders 52 directly above the spindles I and 2. These frames 52 are themselves supported above the spindles on suitable piers 53 and 54 located at the sides and ends of the uncoiler.

For lowering and raising the magnet 48 a gear segment 55 is mounted on the end of its supporting shaft 5| and meshed with a pinion 56 mounted on the drive shaft 58 of a driving motor 51. To insure the face of the magnet 48 making the proper contact with the surface of a coil mounted on the spindles I and 2, irrespective of the diameter of the coil, it is pivotally mounted in the ends of its supporting arms 49. Its pivotal movement, however, is limited so that it can not get out of position, by suitable bosses 59 provided on its outer ends which are arranged to engage cooperating bosses 6| provided on the inner faces of its supporting arms 49. Although not shown, as such is deemed unnecessary, any suitable circuit may be employed for supplying current to the magnet.

In order to permit the face of the magnet 48 to Contact the periphery of a coil mountedon the spindles I and 2 so that it can grip the outer end thereof and at the same time adapt the guards 3 to line up the edges of the coil, the guards are made non-circular in shape. That is, over certain portions they do not project beyond the periphery of the coil, while at others they do. Thus the magnet may be contacted in the narrow] portions with the coil without striking the guards, and at the same time the guards are capable of engaging and straightening the edges of the coil. In the present embodiment of the invention the guards are made in the shape of a triangle. An advantage of this is that due to gravity they normally assume a position with one base of the triangles parallel to the horizontal and one of the short sides in the proper position for the magnet to contact the coil. To facilitate the guards 3 always assuming their normal position when free to. do so, the shafts II] on which the spindles are mounted are provided with anti-friction bearings so that the spindles will rotate with the greatest possible ease.

Another feature of the guards 3 is that their inner fac'es are inclined outwardly sufficiently from their centers so that the strip can be readily pulled from a coil mounted on the spindles without the guards binding the edges of the strip. In

addition they are provided with radially disposed teeth-like projections 20 on the surface thereof adjacent the periphery of the spindles. The purpose of these is to bite into the edges of the innermost convolutions of the coil so that-the turning of the coil can be resisted by braking the spindles and without interfering with the unwinding of the strip.

For. pulling the strip from the coil after the end thereof has been pulled out by the magnet 48 an upper and a pair of lower stripping and straightening rolls 62, 63 and 64 respectively are employed. The upper of these rolls is adjustably mounted in suitable chucks 65 located in vertically disposed windows 66 provided in the side frames 52. For adjusting these chucks, so as to vary the pressure with which they engage the strip, adjusting rods 61 are secured to their upper ends, being extended upwardly through the tops of the frames 52, and equipped at their upper ends with suitable adjusting nuts 68. These nuts are disposed to bear against the upper ends of a pair of sleeves 69 threadably mounted in the frames 52 and through which the rods are projected. Below such sleeves a pair of coil springs II is arranged, being utilized to provide the roller 62 with a resilient mounting. For turning such sleeves 69 they are provided with non-circular tool-receiving upper ends I2 and for locking them in position lock nuts I3 are provided. When it is desired to adjust the upper roll 62 the lock nuts I3 are released and the nuts 68 and the sleeves 69 turned until the desired adjustment is obtained and the lock nuts I3 then returned to place.

The two lower stripping and straightening rolls 63 and 64 are mounted in a pair of side frames '14 which are in turn pivotally supported, at their ends opposite to the rollers, in the main side frames 52 by suitable stud shafts I5. The purpose of this latter mounting is to provide for moving these lower rollers out of the way of the magnet 48 when it is lowered to engage the strip and then back into their strip engaging positions adjacent the upper roller 62 after the end of the strip is pulled up under the latter roller 62 by the magnet. It is to permit the magnet being operated in this way without striking the upper roller that its supporting arms 49 are made in the shape of a bell crank.

To actuate the supporting frames I4 for the lower rollers 63 and 64 in the manner referred to, rigid connecting rods '16 are pivotally attached to them adjacent their free ends and to a pair of cranks 11 mounted on a drive shaft I8 which is in turn connected to a driving motor 19 by means of a drive shaft 8| and a gear reducing unit 82. These connecting rods and cranks are so proportioned that with each revolution of the cranks the frames 14 are moved from their upper to their lower positions and back again. To automatically stop them in these two positions a limit switch 83 of suitable construction is connected to the gear unit 82 for rotation thereby, and to adapt the rods I6 and cranks TI to provide the greatest possible support for the rollers 63 and 64 the cranks 11 are designed to position the rollers in the upper position when they are in direct alignment with the rods I6. i

For unwinding a coil after its end is engaged between the rolls 62, 63 and 64 a driving motor 84 is connected to the upper roll 62 by a chain 85 which is mounted on a sprocket 86 secured to the end of the drive shaft 81 of the motor 84 and a sprocket wheel secured to the neck of the roll 62 outside of the supporting frame 62. To disconnect this latter motor from the roll 62 a clutch 66 is connected in the drive shaft 81.

Toadjust the uncoiler for operation the spindles l and 2 and'the combination platform and cradle 19 are first adjusted to their coil receiving position. A coil is then delivered from the coil supplying chute 23 onto the cradle formed by the rolls 25 and 26, with its turns running in the right direction for uncoiling. The motor 41 for the. elevating screw 36 of the platform and cradle is next started and thecoil raised until its center is in positionto receive the spindles I, and 2. When in such' position the rolls 25 are actuated by their driving motor 33 until the end of the coil isin position to be'engaged by the magnet 48. The motor l5 for "adjusting the spindles is then operated until the spindles are properly engaged in the coil. The motor 41 for the elevate ing screw 56 is then reversed and the cradle lowered away from the coil and into position to receive the next subsequent coil. At this point the motor I9 is set in motion and operated until the ,lower stripping and straightening rolls 63 and 64 are out oi'theway of the magnet 48. The motor 51 is then operated in the proper direction until the electromagnet 46 contacts the coil. As soonas this occurs the magnet is energized and the motor 51 reversed. As the magnet moves back towards its normal elevated position it lifts the end of the coil up under the upper stripping roll 62 and in doing so bends the end suiilciently to assist in passing it out of the un'coiler over a guide 89 provided at the pivoted end' of the side frames 14. As soon as the magnet reaches its upperpositheir lower position placing the apparatus in readiness to receive another coil. To tension'the strip in the coil as it is being unwound or to resist the turning of the coil for any reason what.-

soever a brake 80 is provided being arranged to operate ona brake drum 9! secured to the spindle 2 and equipped with a hydraulic motor 92 for operating it.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, such an apparatus provides an efliective and efficient means for uncoiling steel or other permeable strip, one which is simple and easy to operate, requires but little manipulation of the coils and whichv is dependable in operation. It will also be appreciated thatthrough the adjustment of the upper stripping rolls, 62 of the use of the two spaced lower stripping rolls 63 and 66 In addition whilenot shown it'is also apparent the stripping mechanism can be readily adjusted to handle different thicknesses of strip and to produce varying degrees of straightening in the strip. Another advantage of it is that it is capable of handling coils of varying widths'and diameters and of expeditiously uncoiling them.

that automatic controls can be readily applied to most of the operating motors although manual control is contemplated by the foregoing descripd register a coil mounted thereon in position to tion.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle and mode of operation of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. .However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described. We claim: 1. In an apparatus for uncoiling coiled permeable metal strip the combination of means for u engaging a coil at its center and supporting it for rotation, an electromagnet for engaging the free end of a coil, a pivotally mounted crank for supporting'said magnet, and means for operating said crank to move said magnet in an arcuate path relative to said support to strip the free end from the coil.

2. In an apparatus for uncoiling coiled permeable metal strip the combination of means for engaging a coil at its center and supporting it for rotation, means for delivering the coil to said supporting means, an electromagnet for engaging the free end of the coil mounted on said support,

a pivotally mounted crank for supporting said ,magnet, and means for moving said crank to move said magnet relativeto said support at an angle to the periphery of-the coil to strip the free end from the coil. l I

3. An apparatus for unwinding coils-0t permeable. strip comprising a pair of axially ad- J'ustable spindles for engaging the center of a coil at'its ends and supporting itfor rotation, means for delivering a coil to a position in axial alignment with said spindles, means for adjusting said spin'dles to. engage them in the ends of a coil mounted on said delivery means, a magnet for engaging the free end of a coil when mounted on the spindles, and a pivotal crank for supporting and moving said magnet in an are into and out of engagement with the coil.

4. An apparatus for, unwinding coilsof permeable strip comprising a pair of axially adjustable spindles for engaging the center of a coil at its ends and supporting it for rotation. means for delivering a coil to said spindles, means .for adjusting said spindles to engage them in the ends of thecoil, means on said spindles for straightening the sides of the coil .as they are moved into the ends thereof, an elongate magnet for engaging the free end of a coil mounted on the spindles across its width, and means for moving said magnet into and out of engagement with said coil, the straightening means being of suiiicient diameter to span the ends of the coil but having aligned portions cut away to permit the magnet to engage acoil shorter than the magnet. 1

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 characterized by said straightening means being of triangular shape.

receive said spindles, means for adjusting said spindles to engage them in the ends of the coil, 75

means on said spindles for straightening the sides of a coil as the spindles are moved into a coil, a magnet for engaging the free end of a coil, means for moving said magnet into and out of engagement with a coil mounted on said spindles, said straightening means being constructed to permit such operation, a stripping roll disposed to engage the strip as it is pulled from the coil by the magnet, a second stripping roll mounted for movement to and from the first-mentioned roll but disposed when in operative position in the path which the magnet travels in its movement to and from the coil, and means for moving said second roll out of the path of movement of the magnet and back into operative engagement with the first-mentioned roll.

8. An apparatus for unwinding coils of permeable strip comprising a pair of axially adjustable spindles for engaging the center of a coil at its ends and supporting it for rotation, means for delivbring a coil to a position adjacent said spindles, means for holding a coil in a selected position on said last-mentioned means, means for moving said first-mentioned means to register a coil mounted thereon in position to receive said spindles, means for adjusting said spindles to engage them in the ends of the coil,

means on said spindles for straightening the sides of a coil as the spindles are moved into a coil, a magnet for engaging the free end of a coil, means for moving said magnet into and out of engagement with a coil mounted on said spindles, said straightening means being constructed to permit such operation, a stripping roll disposed to engage the strip as it is pulled from the coil by the magnet, a second stripping roll mounted for movement to and from the firstmentioned roll but disposed when in operative position in the path of movement of said magnet, means ior moving said second roll out of the path of movement of the magnet and back into operative engagement with the first-mentioned roll, a third roll cooperating with said other two rolls for straightening the strip, and means for driving one of said rolls to pull the strip from the coil.

9. An apparatus for unwinding coiled material comprising a pair of axially adjustable spindles for engaging a coil at its center and supporting it for rotation, a platform pivoted at one end mounted below said spindles for rolling a coil on its side thereunder, a cradle for receiving the coil at the end of said platform and directly below said spindles, and means for moving the free end of said platform toward and from said spindles.

10. An apparatus for unwinding coiled material comprising a pair axially adjustable spindles for engaging the center of a coil at its ends and supporting it for rotation, means for engaging and stripping the free end from a coil mounted on said spindles, a cradle disposed below said spindles for lifting a coil into registration therewith, a roll comprising a part of the coil-supporting structure of said cradle, and means for driving said roll to rotate a coil mounted thereon so as to place the outer end of the coil in the proper position for engagement by said end-engaging means.

11. An apparatus for unwinding coils of permeable strip comprising a pair of axially adjustable spindles for engaging the center of a coil at its ends and supporting it for rotation, means for adjusting said spindles to engage them in the ends of the coil, a magnet for engaging the free end of a coil mounted on said spindles, means for moving said magnet into and out of engagement with the coil, a stripping roll disposed to engage the strip as it is pulled from the coil by the magnet, a second stripping roll mounted for movement to and from the first mentioned roll but disposed when in its normal operative position to lie in the path of movement of said magnet, and means for moving said secand roll out of the path of movement of the magnet and back into operative engagement with the first-mentioned coil.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 employing a third roll co-operating with the two stripping rolls for straightening the strip.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11 in which a third roll is provided which co-operates with the two stripping rolls tor straightening the strip and means for adjusting one of said stripping rolls with respect to the others to vary the strip straightening action.

HOWARD H. TALBOT. MAURICE P. SIEGER. 

